Choucroute Garni a La Juive

Ingredients

• 4 lbs sauerkraut
• 3 tablespoons goose schmaltz or duck schmaltz or vegetable oil
• 1/4 lb pastrami or smoked goose breast, diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 whole onion, peeled
• 2 cups dry white wine (Alsatian)
• 2 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries
• 1 tablespoon caraway seed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 4 whole cloves
• fresh ground pepper
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled, washed and quartered
• 2 lbs cooked corned beef
• 6 kosher frankfurters or sausages
• mustard (optional)
• horseradish sauce (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Wash the sauerkraut in cold water. Drain. Then wash it a second time, in very hot water. Drain again. Squeeze the water out of the sauerkraut by forming it into balls and pressing it between your hands.

2. 2

   In a heavy-bottomed oven-proof pot, melt the goose or duck fat. Add the pastrami or goose breast and the sliced onions. Sauté for a few minutes. Do not brown. Add the wine, 1 cup of the water, and 1 of the bay leaves.

3. 3

   Place the remaining bay leaf, the juniper berries, and the caraway seeds in a piece of cheesecloth. Peel and smash the garlic cloves and place on top. Tie with a string and place in the pan.

4. 4

   Peel the remaining onion and stick the 4 cloves into the outer layer. Place in the heavy pan. Add the sauerkraut, pepper, and the potatoes to the pot. Add more wine and/or water as needed for the liquid to go half way up the pan. Bring to a boil.

5. 5

   Preheat the oven to 325°F Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven, and cook for an hour.

6. 6

   Add the corned beef to the sauerkraut, return to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the frankfurters to the sauerkraut. Bring to a simmer, but not a boil.

7. 7

   To serve, put the sauerkraut in the center of a serving plate. Slice the corned beef against the grain and arrange it on top. Surround the sauerkraut with the frankfurters and the potatoes. Accompany this choucroute garni with mustard and horseradish sauce.